I am a travel writer. I travel constantly, at least three weeks every month. When my clunky old laptop gave up the ghost I went off in search of a new one that would be lightweight, powerful, and wireless.

Everything I needed was to be found in Gateway's 200ARC. It's a little bigger than I wanted but it's lightweight and robust. It comes with a Centrino 1.4 processor. It was priced higher than a comparably equipped laptop without wi-fi but with a 2.6g P4.

I purchased my new laptop at the end of August with an additional 3 year onsite warranty, which cost $179. The laptop came with one dead pixel and the power supply cord doesn't seat correctly in the adapter, it keeps falling out. No big deal, I knew I could get that replaced when I got around to it, and I can deal with one dead pixel.

I do not have a wireless router at home since I have a desktop system. The first time I tried to use the wireless was 12 days after my purchase, in the Admiral's Club at Raleigh-Durham airport. It didn't work there and it didn't work in the Internet Cafe at the airport and it didn't work in the Centrino stations either. Of course my assumption was that the wireless in the airport stations were messed up since it couldn't possibly be my laptop, which was brand new.

Off I went to Europe for nearly three weeks. When I got back, the wireless didn't work in any of the stations at JFK either. I called Gateway when I arrived home and was told how to "configure" my system for wireless. Of course I couldn't test it until the next time I was in a wireless zone, and when I did it still didn't work.

Five months later, after numerous pleas for assistance, I finally got a supervisor who told me that a faulty Intel chipset had been used in that system and that I needed to get a completely different system or the problems would likely keep recurring. He suggested that if I wanted to spend $50 I could get a good PCMCIA card and everything would work just fine. Now this really irritated me because if I wanted to use a "good PCMCIA card" I could have spent a lot less money for a system that wasn't set up as wi-fi and I could have had a much more powerful processor than the Centrino 1.4, and also, I didn't think I should be made to spend another penny to correct an inherent flaw in the system that Gateway had sold me. He told me to call the fulfillment department or something during business hours so I could get a replacement system, which I did the very next day.

Of course the guy there just laughed at me since I was like 4.5 months past the 15-day return mark. He transferred me to a "supervisor" of customer care or whatever they call the department where some flunky tries to humiliate and browbeat you and tell you how you must have screwed up the product yourself.

I told the "customer care representative" (an oxymoron as it relates to Gateway) that I had the onsite warranty and wanted someone to come out and fix my system. He said he would send a box. I said no, I have onsite. He told me that "onsite doesn't really mean onsite." This is, of course, news to me. He said it means they would send a box or "replace the chassis, no questions asked." No questions asked? I pointed out that I had been trying to resolve the issue for five months and there were plenty of questions but no resolution. He then said that it had taken that long to determine that it was indeed a hardware issue and now they were ready to replace my hardware with a refurbished unit. I would have to remove and replace the hard drive and optical drive myself.

Um. Pardon me. I shouldn't have to spend "$50 for a good PCMCIA card," and had I wanted a refurbished unit I would also have saved myself a bundle. What the heck kind of solution is this? I bought a new system and paid a premium price for it. It had never worked. I also bought an ONSITE WARRANTY ("your salesperson should have told you that it doesn't mean 'onsite' really,") so I wouldn't have to deal with stuff like this. I could either send my machine in to be fixed or I could get a refurbished unit or I could purchase a PCMCIA card. These were my options. Never mind that the company is aware that the chipset is bad, they are forcing me to accept a product that doesn't work and blaming me for the delay in getting the issue resolved.

I have to say that of the 15 or so people with whom I have spoken over the months, only three were rude, stupid or obnoxious. Almost everyone else was really kind and wonderful even if they couldn't resolve my problem. They tried. One young man was obviously new and worked very hard (if very slowly) to get my wireless to work. I was at my mother's house, she has a wireless router, and it was the one place where I could sit on a hard phone line and work to get the problem resolved. I was 15 feet from the router but the wireless still didn't work after two hours of reconfiguring everything. The young man put me on hold for twenty minutes, came back and told me that a senior tech had said that I must be around too many cell phones or something. Jeez.

Although the system looked like it had everything I wanted I wish I had listened to others and kept away from Gateway. I don't appreciate the Gateway employee who posted that people like me are just whiny and trying to take advantage of their largesse. I have tolerated a lot from this company and I have a lemon, and no one is willing to help me.

Jana

Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina
U.S.A.

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5 Updates & Rebuttals

Elizabeth

Cantonment,
Florida,
U.S.A.

I was shafted too

#2Consumer Comment

Wed, April 07, 2004

I am a 3rd time buyer from GATEWAY, first two times went alright. This last time. WHEW where do I start. I bought a new computer, when time came for it to arrive, I called to track the order # and guess what? It had not been sent, it was on back order "had to be made" but no one informed me of this, they let me continue to think that it would arrive on said date. I cancelled the order, they did all they could do to get me to go ahead and buy, LIKE A DUMMY I DID. Before the first payment was due, the hard drive went out. I called and they said "we have an order in, you should receive it on Thursday". Thursday night I called, and inquired since it had not arrive. Some woman RUDELY told me it was due on the next day, not THAT DAY. I told her that is what I was told. She argued the fact with me! I call again the next day, as it did not arrive then either. The check your order over the phone thing. It hung up on me when I tried to put in my order #. I finally got a REAL PERSON to talk too, and GUESS WHAT? The order had not gone through for some reason, and again, No one called to tell me anything. Left me thinking it should arrive. I got some guy then, not so rude, until I asked to speak to a supervisor, or manager. He had the nerve to ask me WHY? He too argued with me. I told him I was NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND ARGUE WITH HIM, PUT A MANAGER ON THE PHONE! The manager said that there was a mix up, and that they would do an expedited shipping. I said WHY NOT OVER NIGHT? The rude guy before him told me I would have to pay for over night shipping! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT. A $2600.00 computer, with a bad hard drive, that took me twice as long to receive, and broke before the first payment was due, and I would have to pay for over night shipping. I asked how do I send this piece of junk back, and get a refund, or credit to my account for the owed amount. NATURALLY it was past my 15 day return policy. I let them know I would report them to MBNA, and to BBB. But they didn't care. They told me when the part arrived I could take it to a Gateway store and get it put in, GUESS WHAT, on the news just a few days later I heard ALL GATEWAY STRORES ARE CLOSING! IT'S NO WONDER!

Jana

Fuquay-Varina,
North Carolina,
U.S.A.

I am confused re: your point...

#3Consumer Comment

Sat, February 14, 2004

So... you use a Mac. I understand that they are great, but I don't. I use Windows. I also use Word. Connectivity is important to me. Being able to get to my e-mail while on the road is important to me. Your mileage may vary. If your point is that since Centrino is newer technology I should just bite the bullet, sorry. I disagree. GATEWAY should bite the bullet and provide me with what I was sold. I daresay that if you had spent $2,000 on a brand new shiny system that didn't work you would be loath to accept in its place someone else's reject that might have been fixed by Gateway. Or might not have. In any event, maybe your ethic is different than mine. I think a product should be backed up by the company that produces it. I think a warranty should mean what it says. I think that paying so much more for integrated wireless means that I shouldn't have to go out and pay more for an external device that I have to mess with... had I wanted to do that, I wouldn't have purchased this system. What confuses me most, though, is why you, an avid Mac proponent, is surfing the Gateway gripes and responding to them. I'd say thank you for your comments but frankly, I am confused as to your point.

Boz

St. Augustine,
Florida,
U.S.A.

ow! internal wireless protocols are not very well developed in PCs, Macs

#4Consumer Comment

Fri, February 13, 2004

Boy Howdy, I would say not only did you get a lemon, you got the whole tree. Still, if you are only using this machine for writing I think you may be digging yourself a pit with all this comparison stuff. My opinion is that internal wireless protocols are not very well developed in PCs, Macs maybe, but if you want to go windows PCMCIA card is fine. Also, Gateway may have started out OK, but their name is mud in the industry at present. I write for a magazine in The UK but live in Florida. I use an Apple PowerBook and have no problem sending my files to anyone. I just use Word and any computer will deal with it. The only reason I use this brand of laptop is because they are the only company who still makes the whole "widget." As the person who tried to communicate in the previous rebuttal (up most??) was trying to say. PC companies have to slosh about trying out this part and that while trying to get the best price they can and it shows. Were I in your position, I would take the most complete option offered and not worry over "refurbished" and "chassis" replacement or even the definition of on-site. Now on the other hand you may have the time and resources to battle The Dakota Giant. If you do, I hope you win and win big. I am just trying to spread some information on laptops and my own experience. As a writer I am sure you know how one or two words of contrasting opinion can often put a different shade on a problem and help a person decide his or her next move. I would be pleased to have given that kind of insight. If I have failed, no matter, for I know my intentions were good.

Jana

Fuquay-Varina,
North Carolina,
U.S.A.

I appreciate your input!

#5Consumer Suggestion

Fri, February 13, 2004

Thank you so much for informing me of the actual workings of a Centrino. I really didn't know what you just explained, and had the wireless worked correctly, I would have been very happy. I honestly didn't know why a Centrino was more expensive, and you have explained it to me. I only mentioned the wireless issue in this report. The fact is, I got a lemon (it happens) and I have spent more time with Gateway techs than I have spent with Dell in over six years, or even with Compaq when I had one of their computers. Something in their system ate my Outlook, too. I can't get to it, can't get to my e-mail or address books, and after trying to help me, the techs at Gateway give up and tell me to call Microsoft. There are times that the system is extraordinarily sluggish but I have a feeling that it's Win XP Pro that makes it so. Otherwise, it's a lightweight, attractive robust machine, exactly what I wanted, that doesn't work. Again, thank you very much for informing me of the difference between Centrino and a P4. That information has helped me a great deal.

Nate

Chicago,
Illinois,
U.S.A.

situation should demand the up most attention from Gateway Technical support

#6Consumer Suggestion

Thu, February 12, 2004

I think that your situation should demand the up most attention from Gateway Technical support. I think that you are some what confused though on your processor information. If you think that a pentium 4 is going to be more powerful in your note book you are sorely wrong. The Centrino process was designed by Intel to make the functions of a laptop (including its wireless resources) more powerfull. From all comparison stand points a 1.4 - 1.6 Centrino processor can be compared to the power of a 2.2 - 2.4 Pentium 4 processor. The Centrino processor integrates all the power of the Pentium 4's along with the abillity to control the power consumption to preserve the battery life. With this added technology the price is going to be much greater than that of a Pentium 4. (THIS REBUTTAL IN KNOW WAY DEFENDS GATEWAY AS A COMPANY, BUT WILL HOPELULLY SET YOUR EXPECTATIONS CORRECTLY AS TO WHAT YOU PAID FOR.)

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